Cardcase



Feb. 12, 1929. 1,701,709 U w. H. OSTRANDER CARD CASE Filed June 25, I928 Z 5/ 1 AZ Patented Feb. 12, 1929.

UNETED STATES 1,701,709 ATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM: H. OSTRANDER, OF CHICAGO, lILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR T O N OVELTIES INCOR- I PORATED, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

GARDOASE.

Application fi1edJune'25, 1928. Serial No. 288,041;

My invention relates to card cases and more particularly to cases from which cards such as business and calling cards may be readily unsheathed. i j i In general, one of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a durable, compact and economically constructed case of ornate design which is equipped with effective and conveniently operable means for partially unsheathing a single card from a stack thereof, whereby ready access may be had to said card.

More specifically, an object of my invention is to provide a card case of the instant nature which may be conveniently carried in a users pocket, and which is provided with effective means for engaging the edge of a contained card and thereby cause the partial unsheathing of said card, said means being conveniently operable externally of the case.

A still further object of my invention is to provide a compact and neatly appearing case which will protect alquantity of cards from r being soiled, means being providedfor successively ejecting single cards from the container,.said means being designed toengage the card without defacing thesame, one end of the case being formed sofas to positively direct a cardacted upon bythe ejecting means to a restricted opening or slit in the case.

Still more specifically, my invention contemplates the provision of a card case of practical construction which may be conveniently to refilled by opening-the end thereof and is further provided with conveniently operable ineans in the form of a leaf spring, one end of which supports a manually operable button and the other end a shoulder for engaging the edge of a contained card, thereby presenting a card ejecting device which is not only eifective in operation but which is of simple and economical construction. 1 I These and other objects will be more apparent from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawingwherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of a card case embodying features of my invention, a portion of the wallthereof being broken away to more clearly disclose the construction thereof;

Figure 2 i a longitudinal central sectional view taken along the line 2- 2 of Figure 2 showin the card ejecting device in its re- 5 tracted position;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure die closing the ejecting means in its advanced card ejecting position;

Figured is an enlarged fragmentarysec tional view disclosing the manner in which the button is secured to the leaf spring;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of the leaf spring detached from the case, the button being shown disassociate'd from the spring in order to more clearly show the manner in which said button is applied thereto; f

Figure 6 is a perspective view of thecase as dviewed from the discharge end thereof; an

Figure 7 is an enlarged detailed sectional;

view of'the discharge end of the case as viewed in Figure 2. j f I Referring now tothe drawing wherein like numerals have beenemployed to designate similar parts throughout the various figures, it will be observed that one embodiment of my invention includes a card case which comprises a casing 2 and a cover, member 4 which is hingedly mounted uponwsaid casing 2 at the pointindicated by the numeral .6. The casing. 2 is of a size which willpermit of its being conveniently carried by a user and which will accommodate the usual sizes of calling or businesscards 8.- It will be observed that when these cards are completely sheathed within the casing the (intermediate portions of the innermost edges'of said cards will be-free from engagement with theend. wall 10 of said casing by reason of the fact that this end wall is bulged outwardly. By providing this v space between the inner edge ofthe uppermost card, Figure 2, and the wall 10, the free extremity of a leaf, spring 12 which is' formed with a shoulder 14 is adapted toautomatically be carried into gripping or card-engaging position, as clearly shown in Figure 2. p

-Thi-s leaf spring 12 forms an element of my card ejecting device which I have indic v cated generally bythe numeral 16. This device also includes a button or caps 18 which is adapted to be conveniently secured to the leaf spring 12 in the manner clearly shown in Figures 4 and 5. It will be seen that a portion of the bodyof the spring is struck out so as to present a projection 20, said pro ection having recesses 21 provided at each extremity thereof. A slit 22 providedin th'e top w ll of the casing 2 is designed to receive the rojection 20 and. serves as a means for gin mg "the leaf spring 12 as it is reciprocated within the casing. A small marginal section 23 of the button 18, Figure 5, is bent outwardly to permit the projection 20 to be inserted with in the opening 2% of said button and after the parts have been thus assembled and subjected to slight compression, said button will be secured in a fixed position uponthe projection, as clearly shown in Figure 1. By having the recess 21 l -shaped said button will be positioned in spaced relation with respect to the body of the leaf spring 12 and juxtaposed with respect to the externalsurface ot' the casing. It will be seen that the free portion 01 the spring 12 which carries the shoulder 1 1 is suiiicienl'ly flexed so to constantly bear downwardly against the inner ends of the cards 8 This resilient engagement of the spring with the cards not only insures the engagement of the uppermost card by the shoulder 14: when the ejecting device is moved forwardly, but also serves to maintain the entire pack of cards in an orderly fixed position within the casing. Obviously the depth of the shoulder 1stshould be less than the thickness of the individual card so as to positively insure the selection and ejection er a single card in response to each forward movement of the ejecting device 16. i

The cover 4: is provided with a restricted opening or slit 26 to permit a card to be partially unsheathed in response to the actuation of the ejecting device and in order to insure the proper presentation of individual cards to the opening 26, Iform the section 28 of the covelgFigures 2, 3 and 6, arcuately. It will thus be apparent that as each card is moved forwardly and carried into engagement with the cover section 28, said card will be guided upwardly into registration with the opening 26. At a point oppositely disposed from the hinge 6, I form an indentation 30 in the cover 4, Figure 1, and a companion indentation within the casing 2 and in this manner I provide a means for conveniently. securing the cover in closed position. Obviously other convenient forms of snap locks might be employed for the same purpose. In the top wall of the'casing an indentation or projection 32 is pressed inwardly from said wall. This projection 32 serves as a means for shielding a tip portion Set of the spring 12, as shown in Figures 2 and By providing the projection 32, the possibility otcarrying a card into engagement with the tip portion 34, when the spring 12 occupies its advanced position, is positively precluded because the tip portion will then be lodged adjacent said projection, as clearly shown in Figure 3. Thus cards may be freely 'inserted within the case.

- From the foregoing it will be understood that my invention provides a very conveniently operable, compact and durably constructed card case. Cards may be readily inserted after the cover a has been opened and upon each retraction of the ejecting device 16 the shoulder 1 1 thereof will become lodged behind the uppermost card and upon the ad vancement of the ejecting device said card will be moved forwardly and guided to the opening or slit 26 through the agency of the arcuate cover section 28. Thus an individual card will be positively ejected or partially unsheathed from the casing in response to each forward movement of the button 18. It will be apparent that my ejecting mechanism requires a minimum number of parts and is of very simple and inexpensive construction and it will also be apparent that the surface portion of the cards is not grippingly engaged by the leaf spring 12 and hence the possibility of defacing said surfaces in the process of unsheathing the card is positively precluded.

Although a specific embodiment of my invention has been described in connection with the disclosure in the drawing, it will be understood that my invention is capable of m any other modifications and therefore should'be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent is:

1. in a card case of the class described, a container for retaining a supply of cards, a unitary cover member removably mounted at one extremity of the container to permit the insertion of cards within the container, said cover member having an opening to permit the ejection therethrough of an individual card, and provided with a smooth inclined surface for directing a card into registration with said opening, and resilient means associated with the container for selecting and engaging the inner edge of an individual card and for advancing said card towardthe opening in the cover.

2. A card case of the class described, including a container for conveniently holding a pack of cards, a cover member at one end of said container, said cover being hingedly mounted upon the container to permit the insertion of cards within the container and having a restricted opening to permit the ejection therethrough of an individual card, and having an inclined surface for directing a card into registration with said opening, and a leaf spring slidable within. the container having a card engaging shoulder at one QX- tremity thereof, the resiliency ot the spring serving, when said spring occupies its retracted position, to positively carry the shoulder into operative position with respect to the inner edge 01 the adjacent card, thereby enabling an individual card to be advanced and ejected through the opening in the cover in response to the shifting of the leaf spring within the container.

3. In a card case of the class described, a

flat type container for retaining a supply of cards, a removable cover at one end of the container provided with a restricted opening to permit the ejection therethroughof an individual card, and having an inclined surface for directing a card into registration with said opening, the end wall of the container oppositely disposed from said cover having its intermediate portion arranged so that when the cards are properly positioned within the container, a space will be presented between the inner surface of said end wall and the adjacent edges of said cards, a spring slidable within the container and adapted to yieldingly bear against the contained cards, said spring being provided with a shoulder which is adapted to become lodged within the space presented between theinner edges of the cards and the inner surface of said end wall when said spring is moved to its innermost position, thereby enabling said shoulder to positively engage an individual card and cause the same to be advanced through the re stricted opening in the cover in response to an advancing movement imparted to the spring.

4. A card case of the class described, in.- cluding a container for conveniently holding a pack of cards, a cover member removably mounted at one end of said container to permit the insertion of cards within the container and having a restricted opening to permit the ejection therethrough of an individual card and having an inclined surface for directing a card into registration with] said opening, and a leaf spring slidable' within the container, one extremity thereof being folded upon itself so as to position the terminating edge in operative relation with respect to the inner edge of an adjacent card, thereby enabling said individual card to be advanced in response to the engagement therewith of said terminating edge, the surface presented along the line of fold being adapted to slide freely over the surface of the cards during the retraction of the leaf spring.

5. In a card case of the class described, a fiat type container for retaining a supply of cards, a resilient member slidable within the container and operable externally thereof for engaging the inner edge of individual cards to cause the unsheathing thereof, and an end wall provided in said container which is formed with a space at the intermediate portion thereof to permit the inner extremity of the slidable member to be operatively posiioned with respect to the inner edge of the cards when said resilient member is moved to its retracted position within the container and provided with an abutment disposed from said intermediate space for positively abutting the inner edges of the cards to insure the presence of saidspace.

In witness whereof, Ihave hereunto subscribed my name.

WILLIAM H. OSTRANDER. 

